With no malice intended toward the screenwriters (or the tv and film industry in general), I’m kind of rooting for an extended writer’s strike. It was predicted that a three month strike would prevent new tv and film projects from running until January 2009. I hate to say it, but I’m somewhat happy to hear that.

Now, let me backtrack for a moment here. I understand the economic implications of an extended strike. I understand there are a lot of employees besides writers and actors that stand to lose money here. I understand that the writers themselves are going to suffer from this unless they can get the outcome they’re looking for.

However, I’m wondering if I’m the only one who thinks its a good idea that there would be no more new episodes of television shows for a while. Maybe it would be good for people to spend less time in front of the television, melting their brains away… Nah, who am I kidding? People will just shift over to their computers, instead.

Seriously though, this reminds me of an episode of The Simpsons (Yes, I get the irony of complaining about television by referencing a tv show.). I’m thinking of an episode in one of the early seasons where Marge successfully changed the format of the ultra-violent children’s cartoon Itchy and Scratchy. Now repulsed by the newly pacifistic nature of the show, the children of Springfield began to leave their houses and discover the outdoors. The scene where an entire neighborhood of children open their front doors at once, rubbing their eyes in unison at the sunlight is a classic. The lack of interest in tv enriched their lives. Ah… how nice that would be.

Having said all that, I’m not anti-television. There are some programs and channels that have genuine artistic or educational value. And, I truly love watching movies. So, no, I’m not really for a greatly extended writer’s strike. But, if people only had reruns to watch, maybe some of them would start to tear themselves away from a more sedentary lifestyle, and go out and live! People could began discovering the outdoors before we melt it all or fill it with smog. Heh. Clearly, a little less tv would be a good thing for people. So, despite the fact that my sympathies lie with the writer’s grievances, I wouldn’t mind this lasting a little longer. Hey, maybe they can write about the strike when it’s over.